Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. / Rick Osentoski, US Presswire

by Michael Katz, USA TODAY Sports

by Michael Katz, USA TODAY Sports

This has been discussed before, but it's definitely worth revisiting because, again, Kobe Bryant charters a helicopter and uses it all the time in his everyday life.

Monday, he used his chopper to take Steve Blake to the doctor. Nice guy, Kobe. LA traffic, you know?

This anecdote comes from a Lee Jenkins' story -- worth reading for its own merits -- on the Lakers hire of Mike D'Antoni. But let's focus on the helicopter part for a second:

Kobe Bryant did not speak to reporters after practice Monday because Lakers point guard Steve Blake suffered an abdominal strain and could only get an appointment with an Orange County doctor in the early afternoon, so Bryant flew him there in his helicopter to avoid any irksome traffic on the 405. Given the events of the past 72 hours, this explanation sounded perfectly reasonable.

If you're super interested in Kobe's helicopter -- and we all are -- then this 2010 GQ profile is must-read. A sample:

He takes a private helicopter from Orange County, where he lives with his wife and two children, to every home game. It's a nice dash of glitz, a touch of showbiz that goes well with the Hollywood sign in the hazy distance. But sexy as it might seem, Bryant says the helicopter is just another tool for maintaining his body. It's no different than his weights or his whirlpool tubs or his custom-made Nikes. Given his broken finger, his fragile knees, his sore back and achy feet, not to mention his chronic agita, Bryant can't sit in a car for two hours. The helicopter, therefore, ensures that he gets to Staples Center feeling fresh, that his body is warm and loose and fluid as mercury when he steps onto the court.

The author, J. R. Moehringer, sums it up perfectly: "If you make $23 million a year with your body, taking a helicopter to work is actually quite practical."

Now let's all spend the rest of Tuesday imaging Kobe flying around Southern California in a helicopter looking like he does below.

Maybe that's not how it goes, but sometimes the truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people deserve more.